Botswana on Monday executed two men who were convicted and sentenced to death for murder.
In a statement this Monday, Botswana Prison Service Assistant Commissioner Wamorena Ramolefhe said Wedu Mosalagae, 33, and Kutlo Setima, 29 years, both males, were executed for separate murders.
Assistant Commissioner Ramolefhe said the two convicts lost their appeals to the High Court of Appeal on the 5th August 2020. The statement read:
The Botswana Prison Service wishes to inform the public that the execution of the death penalty passed on Mr Wedu Mosalagae, 33 years, of Letlhakane village and Mr Kutlo Setima, 29 years, of Ghanzi, was carried out this morning, (Monday 8th February 2021) at Gaborone Central Prison.
Mosalagae was committed to death by Francistown High Court on the 8th August 2019, for the murder of Ms Barobi Rampape on the 24th November 2012 at Nkoshe Ward at Letlhakane while Setima was committed to death by the High Court of Botswana at Lobatse 24th May 2019 for the murder of Ms Tsone Kosi of Kgaphamadi ward, Ghanzi.
They both lost their appeals to the High Court of Appeal on the 5th of August 2020.
Capital punishment is an emotive subject and some regional countries, notably South Africa have abolished it.
However, like Botswana, Zimbabwe still upholds the death penalty and the end of 2018, there were at least 81 people on death row.
In March 2018, President Emerson Mnangagwa commuted the death sentences for those that had been on death row for more than 10 years, benefiting at least 16 people.
